Is God defeated? Is the Almighty frustrated? Is the Lord of heaven and earth
disappointed? Is the omnipotent God hamstrung? Does God desire what he doesn't
have? Does God will what he doesn't
accomplish? Does God purpose what he is unable
to perform? Is God defeated? That's the question
the Apostle Paul was inspired to raise in Romans chapter 3
and verse 3. Is God defeated? For what if
some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? Is God defeated? by man's unbelief? What if they don't believe? What
if they do not believe his word, do not believe God? What if they
do not believe his promises, do not trust his son? Shall their
unbelief make the faith, the faithfulness of God of none effect? Will that destroy God's faithfulness
to His Word? God's faithfulness to His covenant?
God's faithfulness to His purpose? God's faithfulness to His Son?
Is man's unbelief of such power, of such might, of such overcoming
ability as to destroy God's purpose? Is the Almighty defeated because
people don't receive His Word? I preach the gospel around the
world preach the gospel somewhere nearly every day, somewhere or
another proclaim the word, either written or orally. And multitudes
do not believe. Most of the people to whom I
preach do not believe. Does that mean that God's purpose
has fallen to the ground? Many seem to believe and then
depart from the faith. Does that mean that God's faithfulness
is a failure? What if some do not believe?
Shall their unbelief counsel God's decree? What if some do
not believe? Shall their unbelief defeat God's
will, God's purpose, God's covenant? Is God defeated? Read verse four,
and you'll have God's answer to that question. God forbid. God forbid. Yea, let God be true. That is, God is true. and every
man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be justified
in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged. Now here the Apostle Paul is
inspired by God the Holy Spirit to take his quotation directly
from Psalm 51 and verse 4. where David is confessing his
sin in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. And having confessed
his sin, he confessed his faith in God. God, you said, I'd never
like a man to settle my throne. You said, Christ is my savior
and he lives forever. You said, I am yours and you
are mine. And in the teeth of my sin, I
acknowledge that your word is true. Your purpose is sure. Your grace is undefeated. Is God defeated? Most everybody
thinks he is. Preachers everywhere say he is. But that's not what I read in
this book. When I read the word of God, I read of the living
God, the God of heaven and earth, that he's almighty. Is that what
you read? God is almighty. almighty. He has all might and
exercises it all the time. David said our God is in the
heavens. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the sea, and in all
deep places. What God pleases is what God
does in heaven, earth, and hell. Everywhere our God does as he
pleases all the time. God always accomplishes his purpose. God always performs his will. God always has his way. Would to God I could learn that. I've got it fixed pretty good
here. Would to God he would fix it here. I read somewhere years
ago that on one occasion Martin Luther, who was given to despondency,
you wouldn't think so to read the man's life and biography,
but he was given to despondency and his wife Katie came in one
day dressed in black with a black veil and a black hat and a black
outfit or black dress, whatever they wore in those days, morning
attire. And Luther looked at her and
said, What's wrong? Who died? And she said, well,
I thought God did. He said, have you lost your mind,
woman? She said, well, you act like it. How often we respond
to God's providence just that way as though God were dead. If not dead, defeated. Now, something's
happened and everything's out of character. Is God defeated?
Oh no, not God. Is anything too hard for the
Lord? You remember in Genesis 18, God
announced to Abraham that Sarah would have a son. And Sarah laughed
secretly. She laughed in unbelief. And
then the Lord God himself asked this question, is anything too
hard for the Lord? Anything beyond God's reach? Anything beyond God's power?
Anything beyond God's ability? Anything beyond God's might?
Oh no. God's sovereignty is His glory. Deny His sovereignty, you deny
His glory as God. Take away His sovereignty, you
take away His glory, and you take away His very Godhood. Without it, God wouldn't be God. Were he not absolutely sovereign
in all things, he could not be trusted. If he were not sovereign
in all things, he could not be trusted. Absolutely. Absolutely. I hope that you trust me. I work at building men's confidence
in me. I try to live and behave in such
a way that you know what to expect from me. You can trust me with
confidence. You can trust me to fulfill my
promises. You can trust me to do what I
say I'll do. You can trust me to act right
to the best of my ability. I want you to do so. But if you
trust me absolutely, If that little lady right there trusted
me absolutely, she would be acting foolishly. Because I don't have
absolute power. And many things may get in my
way that I can't overcome. Many things may hinder me from
doing what I plan to do, want to do, and purpose to do. Many
things may stop me from doing what I say I will do. Things
beyond my ability. Things beyond my control. Because
you see, I have very limited power and ability. Not so my
God! Only an absolute sovereign can
be absolutely trusted. We have faith in our God, and
David, it ought to be absolute faith. Why we live by faith, that'll
never be the case, but it ought to be. It ought to be. God's
an absolute sovereign. He bends us, cast on him all
our care because he cares for us. And he who cares for us is
an absolute sovereign. Come back to Exodus chapter 3,
or chapter 33. I want you to see this. We're
going to look at a good bit of scripture this morning. In fact,
most of my preaching is just going to be reading the word.
Moses asked God a great thing a great thing. He said I beseech
thee Show me thy glory and God said alright Moses. I'll show
you my glory I'll show you my glory look at chapter 33 book
of Exodus verse 19 He said I will make all my goodness
pass before thee Now that's wonderful. God's glory is his goodness.
Yes, but that's not all. That's not all. And I will proclaim
the name of the Lord before thee. And will be gracious to him I
will be gracious. And will show mercy on him I
will show mercy. God proclaims to Moses that his
glory is his sovereignty, particularly his sovereignty in the exercise
of his goodness. He says, I will show you my glory. I am God, good and gracious,
who will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and show
mercy to whom I will show mercy. That's God's glory. Look at Isaiah
chapter 45. We won't read all of these chapters.
Look at Isaiah 45 and at your leisure read chapters 45 and
46 together. The whole of these two chapters
tells us the very same thing that God told Moses when he asked
him to show him his glory. God is sovereign, almighty, glorious. His sovereign might and the exercise
of that sovereign might is his glory. Isaiah 45 verse 7, no
verse 5 rather. God says, I am the Lord, and
there is none else. There is no other Lord. There
is no other sovereign. There's no other king. There's
no other one with absolute power. There is no God beside me. I have no rival. Verse seven,
I form the light and create darkness. I make peace and create evil. Man, I don't understand that.
You don't have to understand it, but you dead sure have to
bow to it. God's God. And you will not worship
Him except you worship Him as God. I form the light. and create
darkness. I make peace and create evil. I, the Lord, do all these things. Look at chapter 45, verse 20.
Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, ye that escape
to the nations. They have no knowledge. They
have no knowledge. They're absolutely witless. They have no knowledge that set
up the word of their graven image. They have no knowledge. They're
absolutely clueless who pray unto a God that cannot save. who pray to a God that cannot
save. We live in a generation of fundamentalist
Baptists who pray to a God who cannot save. We live in a generation
of religious folks who pray to a God that cannot save. Ask them,
they'll tell you. God wants to save, God tries
to save, God's provided salvation, God does everything He can to
save, but it's up to you. They pray to a God that cannot
save. They stand in purpose, just like
I am today, and tell sinners, salvation depends on you. And
then they pray, God, save this sinner. Why? They're praying
to a God by their own confession who cannot save. Tell ye, verse
21, And bring them near. Yea, let them take counsel together.
Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that
time? Have not I the Lord? And there
is no God beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside
me. Verse 22. Now, since you understand
who God is, since you understand that I alone am God, the triune
Jehovah speaks, the Lord Jesus Christ, our Redeemer speaks,
a just God and a Savior. He says, look unto me, and be
ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God, and there
is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word
has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto
me every knee I hope we'll one day bow. That's not what it says.
Unto me, every knee shall bow. Every tongue shall swear. Sooner
or later, you're going to bow to his throne. Sooner or later,
you're going to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is God over all,
blessed forever. Surely it shall run and say,
in the Lord have I righteousness and strength. There's a people
in this world, chosen of God, redeemed by Christ, who must
be called by the Spirit of God, and when He calls you, you're
going to say, in the Lord, I have righteousness and strength. Sinner
though I am, I have righteousness and strength. I shall prevail,
because I am God's Israel. I am God's chosen. I am God's
saint, saved by His grace. Even to me, even to him, shall
men come. Men are going to come to the
Lord. Some men are. And all that are incensed against
him shall be ashamed. One of these days you will be
ashamed. of your rebellion, ashamed of your sin, ashamed of your
unbelief, either in the grace of God causing you to confess
your sin, or in the day of judgment when you're confused and put
to shame forever in hell, but all will be ashamed of their
rebellion to Him. Verse 25, in the Lord shall all
the seed of Israel, every chosen redeemed sinner shall be justified
and shall glory. Look at chapter 46 of Isaiah,
verse 9. Here God speak again. Remember
the former things of old. Oh, how quickly we forget. For
I am God. There is none else. I am God.
There is none like me. Is that good? There's none like
me. All that men call gods don't
even resemble God. All the gods men have made don't
even resemble God. And all the things that we compare
to God don't even resemble God. There's none like me. Declaring
the end from the beginning. Declaring the end of the thing,
declaring what has been done and then doing it. And from ancient
times, the things that are not yet done say, my counsel shall
stand and I will do all my pleasure. But what if things oppose? But
what if the nature of things don't agree with that? But what
if something happens that's just out of character? Will God still
have all his way and do all his pleasure? He says, well, let
me show you a picture. Calling a ravenous bird from
the east. I have a prophet over here who's
hungry and I'm going to feed him. And I'm going to make him
know that I have fed him. I'm going to take a bird that's
a ravenous bird. And that bird that would normally
steal food from a man, I'm going to cause to bring food to my
prophet. Call him a ravenous bird. Look what he says again. The man that executed my counsel
from a far country, I'm going to call A king in Babylon. The very Babylonians who've taken
my people captive. I'm going to call a Babylonian
king and cause that Babylonian king, by the way, his name will
be Cyrus. And I'm going to call that king
to deliver my people. A Babylonian king. Yeah, I have
spoken it. I will also bring it to pass.
I purposed it. I will also do it. Did you hear
God speak? He says, I am God and there is
none else. I am God and there is none beside
me. I declare the end from the beginning. He's talking about things way
back yonder in the eons of eternity. God said, I've declared from
ancient times the things that are not yet done. I declared
them and my counsel will stand. I will do all my pleasure. I spoke of it. I'll bring it
to pass. So whatever God said in his word,
you can believe whatever God said before the world was in
covenant grace in his decree. You can depend on it. He'll do
it. Does that sound like a defeated God to you? Does that sound like
a God who can be disappointed? Frustrated? Turned away from
his purpose? One whose decree can be sidetracked? Oh no. Turn to Daniel chapter
4. Daniel the 4th chapter. Nebuchadnezzar
was the great king of Babylon. A mighty king in a mighty kingdom. He He was the great ruler of
the earth. He was the man with power. He was the man who could speak,
and men just jumped to do what he said to do. Nations jumped
to do what he said to do. Nebuchadnezzar was strutting
in his palace one night, and he said, look at Babylon, this
great kingdom that I have built. And Daniel said, Nebuchadnezzar,
God's going to teach you that he ruled. God's going to teach
you the most high willeth. And before this night's over,
you're going to go insane. You're going to lose your mind.
And for seven years, you're going to act and behave like a wild
beast. For seven years. And it came
to pass. For seven years, Nebuchadnezzar
acted and behaved like a wild beast. Lost his mind. Now look
at verse 34. And at the end of the days, I,
Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding
returned unto me. And I blessed the Most High,
and praised and honored him that liveth forever and ever, whose
dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom from generation
to generation. Now listen to Nebuchadnezzar's
confession. All the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing, and he doeth according to his will in
the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth,
and none can stay his hand and saying to him, what doest thou? Men today dare defy God and blaspheme
God and treat God like a little child. You have a little child
getting into something and mama slaps the child's hand and says,
what are you doing, Johnny? What are you doing? What do you think
you're doing? And men dare think they're going to slap God's hand
and ask him what he's doing? Dare think you're going to check
God? None can stay in his hand or
say to him, what doest thou? Verse 36, at the same time, my
reason returned unto me. For the glory of my kingdom,
mine honor and brightness returned to me, and my counselors and
my Lord sought unto me, and I was established in my kingdom, and
excellent majesty was added to me. Now, verse 37, I, Nebuchadnezzar,
praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all whose works
are truth, and his ways judgment, and those that walk in pride
he is able to abase. We hear so much talk today about
man's free will and power of determination and man's moral
freedom and free moral agency and all such nonsense. The scripture
says God and God alone. According to his will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth and
none can stay his hand None can stop it. None can force the Almighty
to alter course None can say to him what doest thou turn back
to Jeremiah 18? Jeremiah 18 The Lord God says
cannot I do with my own what I will I? Hath not the potter
power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessel and honor
and another dishonor? That's what he told Jeremiah.
Look at it. Jeremiah 18, verse 1. The word
of the Lord which came to Jeremiah, the word which came to Jeremiah
from the Lord saying, Arise, go down to the potter's house,
and there I will cause thee to hear my words. And then I went
down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrote a work on the
wheels. And the vessel that he made of
clay was marred in the hand of the potter. It doesn't just say the vessel
the potter made was marred. Some folks seem to think that
somehow something faulty was found in the clay. That's all
you find in clay is something faulty. The vessel was marred
in the hand of the potter, not by accident, on purpose. So he
made it again, another vessel, watch this, as seemed good to
the potter to make it. Then the word of the Lord came
to me saying, O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this
potter, saith the Lord? O people of Danville, Kentucky,
O men and women of the United States of America in the 21st
century, with all your wisdom and power, O people of Grace
Baptist Church, God says, cannot I do with you as the clay with
the potter? Behold, as the clay is in the
potter's hands, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel. In Ephesians 1, The scripture
declares that our salvation is accomplished by and bestowed
upon us by the triune God who worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. I ask again, is God defeated? Is God defeated? Let's look at
it. Let's look at just five things very briefly. Five things revealed
in this book. Turn back to Isaiah chapter 14. Isaiah chapter 14. Let me ask you five questions
and hear God's answer to all five of them. Not my questions. I mean, not my answer. The questions
are mine. The answers are God's. I'm raising
some questions. Is God defeated? I'm raising
some questions. Let's hear God answer. Was God defeated when
Satan led a revolt in heaven and one third of the heavenly
angels fell with him? Was God defeated? Look in Isaiah
chapter 14 verse 12. How art thou fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning? How art thou cut down to the
ground, which did weaken the nations? For thou hast said in
thine heart, I will ascend into heaven. I will exalt my throne
above the stars of God. I will set down, set also upon
the mountain of the congregation in the sides of the north. I
will ascend above the heights of the clouds. I will be like
the Most High. Yea, thou shalt be brought down
to hell. to the sides of the pit. They
that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider
thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble,
that did shake the kingdoms, that made the world a wilderness,
and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the house of
his prisoners? Was God defeated by Satan's rebellion? Let's see what God says. Verse
24. This is God's answer. The Lord
of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely, as I have thought, so
shall it come to pass. As I have purposed, so shall
it stand. Verse 27. For the Lord of hosts
hath purposed, and who shall disacknowledge it? And his hand
is stretched out, and who shall turn it back? Look at Revelation
chapter 12. We'll see God's answer given
in another place. Was God defeated by Satan's rebellion? Revelation chapter 12, look at
verse 7. There was a war in heaven, and
Michael, that's the Lord Jesus, our mediator, the Son of God,
our covenant surety, the angel of the covenant. Michael and
his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon fought
and his angels. Do you read the next words? Do
you read them? And prevailed not. The dragon
fought and prevailed not. Neither was their place found
anymore in heaven. And the great dragon was cast
out. That old serpent called the devil and Satan, which deceived
the whole world. He was cast out into the earth
and his angels were cast out with him. What's the result of
this? Read the next line. And I heard
a loud voice saying in heaven, now is come salvation and strength
and the kingdom of our God and the power of his might. What?
You mean Satan's rebellion results in the salvation of God's elect?
You mean Satan's rebellion results in God showing his might in saving
sinners? Of course that's what it says.
Look at the next line. For the accuser of our brethren
is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night,
and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. and by the
word of their testimony, and they love not their lives unto
death. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and you that dwell in
them. Woe to the inhabitants of the
earth and of the sea, for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath." Satan's in a rage. Satan's mad. A roaring lion going about seeking
him to make him devour. Having great wrath. Because he
knoweth that he hath but a short time. Satan raises the stake he raises
because he knows he has but a short time. Was the triune Jehovah
defeated by Satan's rebellion? Oh no. Number two. Was God defeated
when Adam fell in the garden? What does God say? Look at 1
Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15. Was God defeated when Adam sinned
against Him in the garden? What does God tell us in His
Word? In Romans 5, verse 14, the Apostle Paul writes by divine
inspiration and tells us that Adam was a figure. He was a type
of the Lord Jesus, the last Adam. Adam, in his fall, was a type
of Christ in his redictive work. Adam in his rebellion was a type
of Christ in his obedience. Adam in the destruction of the
human race was a type of Christ in the salvation of the chosen
race. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 21. For since by man came death. By man came also the resurrection
of the dead. Since we died in a representative,
we're made to live in a representative. Since we died by the disobedience
of one, we're made to live by the obedience of another. For
as in Adam, all died. All who were in Adam died when
Adam died. And in Christ, even so in Christ,
shall all be made alive. All who are in Christ are made
alive by Christ. Adam, because of his love for
Eve, willingly plunged himself into sin and death, lest he lose
Eve. And the Lord Jesus, because of
his love for his bride, taken from his side as Eve was from
Adam's, willingly plunged himself into sin and death under the
curse of God, lest he lose his bride. Had there been no fall,
we would never have had a Redeemer. Had there been no fall, we would
never have known forgiveness. Had there been no fall, there
would have been no revelation of God. Had there been no fall,
there would have been no resurrection. Had there been no fall, there
would have been no salvation. Number three, turn to Acts chapter
two. That's the second chapter. Was God defeated when his darling
son, the Lord Jesus, was crucified by the hands of wicked men doing
exactly what they wanted to do? It looks like it. It looks like
it. Preachers everywhere tell us that God was defeated. Christ, we're told, came into
the world to Be king over in Israel and because the Jews wouldn't
pretty please let him have their little peanut throw He decided
to go into plan B and was crucified He goes up to the cross. Oh poor
Jesus Oh poor Jesus. I heard a preacher one time years
ago said if I'd have been there I'd have stopped him If I'd have
been there I'd have stopped him You'd have been pulling out the
beard spitting in his face me too. I Me too. Our Lord said,
weep not for me, I'm going where I came here to go. I'm doing
what I was appointed to do. Weep not for me, weep for yourselves
and for your children. Was God defeated when Christ
was crucified? Let's see. Acts chapter 2, verse
22. You men of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth,
a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs,
which God did by him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also
know, him being delivered Delivered into your hands. Delivered into
Pilate's hands. Delivered into the soldier's
hands. Delivered into the hands of divine justice. Delivered
up to die. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. By the determinate counsel,
by the infinite wisdom of God in determining all things. And
by God's sovereign foreordination. Ye have taken, and by wicked
hands, and have crucified and slain. Was God defeated? Well, let's wait three days and
find out. Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of
death, because it was not possible that he should be holding of
it. Look at chapter four, Acts chapter four, verse 26. The kings of the earth stood
up, And the rulers were gathered together against Christ, against
the Lord, and against his Christ. They're referring to Psalm 2.
For I have a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast
anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and
the people of Israel, were gathered together. Now watch this. Watch
the next line. Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles,
and the Jews were all gathered together. One hellish party. Folks who couldn't stand one
another's names all got together at one time. for to do whatsoever
thy head and thy counsel determined before to be done. You read the gospel narratives?
And it looks like those fellows who, everything involved in the
crucifixion of our Lord, his betrayal, his arrest, his being
mocked by the soldiers, beaten by the soldiers, his mock trial
before Pilate, his crucifixion, everything they did in the whole
of his death, right down to his being dead in the tomb. And then
the Jews come in and said, put a guard by it. We heard he was
going to be raised. His disciples said he was going
to be raised again. And the disciples, they're going to come steal his
body away. They it looks like they went back to the Old Testament
scriptures and said what what are we supposed to do next? What
do they do? Whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel
before determined must be done look at chapter 13 acts 13 verse
26 Men in brethren children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever
among you feareth God To you is this word of this salvation
sent? For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers,
because they knew him not, know yet the voices of the prophets,
which they read every Sabbath day. They read them every day,
but never heard a thing they said. They have fulfilled them
in condemning him, though they found no cause of death in him,
yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when
they had fulfilled all that was written of him, When they had
done everything God said they were going to do, they took him
down from the tree and laid him in a sepulcher. When our Lord
stood before Pontius Pilate in anger because Christ didn't answer
him or show him the respect he thought he ought to have, Pilate
said, answerest thou me nothing, not knowing that I have power
over you? I can crucify you or let you
go. And our Lord said to Pilate, you could have no power over
me except it were given you from above. You see, the death of
Christ was ordered and foreordained by God. He died the appointed
Savior at the appointed time, in the appointed way, at the
appointed place for an appointed people. He died according to
the decree of God to redeem his people. And all that took place
at the cross are things that he declared would take place
before ever he came into this world. And by his death, He took
captivity captive. He took Satan and the principalities
and powers of the air into captivity and redeemed his people and set
his prisoners free. By his death, the woman's seed
crushed the serpent's head. By his death, our Savior said,
now is the prince of this world cast out. He's described in Revelation
20 as a great angel, a mighty angel from heaven who comes down
with a chain in his hand and binds the serpent, the dragon,
Apollyon. It binds him for a thousand years
that he should deceive the nations no more. And when it is loosed,
the thousand years are finished. When we come to the very end
of this gospel age, Satan shall be loosed for a little season
again to deceive the nations all according to the sovereign
will of Christ Jesus who was crucified at Calvary and by means
of his cross was brought up to his throne in heavenly glory.
The Lord God said it to him after they've Raged against him and
the kings of the earth crucify him. He says ask of me And i'll
give you the heathen for your inheritance and our lord said
now father Give me the glory. I had with you before the world
was number four Was god defeated? When satan had us captive When
we were captives under sin Not according to this book. Come
back to isaiah 42 isaiah 42 At the appointed time of mercy,
grace, and love, the Lord Jesus comes into the strong man's house
and binds the strong man and cast him out. Now that's how
our Lord describes the salvation of his elect. In Matthew chapter 12, when God
comes to save a sinner, We're told that Jesus stands at your
heart's door and knocks and says, pretty please, pretty please
let me in. And you have a picture, that idolatrous picture, that
effeminate looking fella, the little light in the loafers looks
to me like standing outside a door, and he's standing there with
a candle that's supposed to be Jesus, and there's no handle on the
outside. Here he is, he's supposed to
be God Almighty, the light of the world, he's holding a candle,
and he's knocking, asking for permission to come into your
heart. When Christ comes, hear me now, hear me now, hear me
now, If ever the Son of God comes to you in saving mercy, he will
knock the door down, bolt and bar. He will bind the strong
man, Satan, in your heart. He will cast him out, and the
first knowledge you will have of his presence, he's already
sitting on the throne, Savior and Lord. He comes in sovereign
power. Look at Isaiah 42, verse 1. Behold
my servant. whom I uphold, mine elect, in
whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him.
He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not
cry, nor lift up his voice, nor cause his voice to be heard in
the streets. He's not frustrated. He's not begging for help. A
bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he
not quench. That which is just useless to
anybody else, he takes that. He shall bring forth judgment
unto truth. He shall not fail nor be discouraged
till he has set judgment in the earth, and the isle shall wait
for his law. Thus saith the Lord. God the
Lord, he that created the heavens and stretched them out, he that
spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, he that
giveth breath unto the people upon it and spirit to them that
walk therein. I the Lord have called thee in
righteousness and will hold thine hand. I will keep thee and give
thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles.
to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison,
and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. Look
at chapter 49, Isaiah 49, verse 7. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer
of Israel, and His Holy One, to whom man despiseth, to him
whom the nation abhorreth. to a servant of rulers. Kings
shall see and arise. Princes also shall worship because
of the Lord that is faithful and the Holy One of Israel, and
he shall choose thee. Thus saith the Lord, in an acceptable
time have I heard thee, and in the day of salvation have I helped
thee, and I will preserve thee and give thee for a covenant
of the people. to establish the earth, and to cause to inherit
the desolate heritages, that thou mayest say to the prisoners,
go forth. And to them that are in darkness,
show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways,
and their pasture shall be in all high places. They shall not
hunger nor thirst, Neither shall the heats nor the sun spite them,
for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them. Even by springs
of water shall he guide them. I will make all my mountains
a way, and my highways shall be exalted. Behold, these shall
come from far, and lo, these from the north, and from the
west, and from the land of Sinai. Sing, O heavens, and be joyful,
O earth. Break forth into singing, O mountains.
For the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy on
his afflicted. That's what I read in this book.
God Almighty is the eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
sovereign of all things. He's never defeated. He never
fails. Because nothing's too hard for
the Lord. One more thing. Was God defeated? Because the
Jews rejected Christ and his gospel? Because the Jews would
not receive Jesus as the Messiah King? Not according to this book. Look back at our text. Romans
chapter 3. Verse 3. For what if some did
not believe. Shall their unbelief make the
faith of God without effect? God forbid! Yea, let God be true,
and every man a liar, as it is written, that thou mightest be
justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art
judged. The 11th chapter of Romans tells
us plainly that the casting away of Israel in judgment because
of them crucifying the Lord Jesus, refusing to hear his word and
his prophets, was the means by which, not God's defeat, but
the means by which God calls the gospel to go to the Gentile
world for the saving of all the Israel of God. When I hear preachers
today talk about God, they're talking about a different God.
They're talking about a different God. Their God resembles Dagon. You remember Dagon in the Book
of Judges? He fell and broke off his heads. Preacher once
said years ago, said, God has no eyes but your eyes, and God
has no mouth but your mouth, and God has no feet but your
feet, and God has no hands but your hands. God doesn't need
you. God doesn't need me. What a pathetic
picture that is of God. Billy Graham once described the
election this way. He said, God voted for you, and
the devil votes against you, and you cast the deciding vote.
That makes God to be outnumbered two to one. That makes God a
minority. And that makes God's whole purpose,
God's whole purpose, God's whole purpose for everything he does
to depend on whether the devil gets your vote or God gets your
vote. What blasphemy! What blasphemy! Not so according
to this book. Not according to this book. Salvation's
not up to you. It's God's work. And we worship
a God who is indeed God. Sovereign in predestination,
in creation, in providence, in grace. Sovereign always, all
times, everywhere. And if you read the last chapter
of the book, you'll find out that defeat, not even a possibility. Look at Revelation chapter 19.
We'll stop on the way to the last chapter. Verse 1. After these things I heard a
great voice of much people saying, Alleluia, salvation, and glory,
and honor, and power unto the Lord our God. For true and righteous
are his judgments. For he hath judged the great
whore which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath
avenged the blood of his servants by her hand. And again they said,
Alleluia, and her smoke arose. up forever and ever. And the four and twenty elders
and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on
the throne saying, Amen, Alleluia. And the voice came out of the
throne saying, Praise our God, all ye servants, and you that
fear him, both small and great. And I heard, as it were, a voice
of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and
the voice of mighty thundering, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice. Now look at chapter 22. And he showed me a pure river
of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne
of God and the Lamb. In the midst of the street of
it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of
life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit
every month, and leaves of the tree were for the healing of
the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne
of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall
serve Him, and they shall see His face, and His name shall
be in their foreheads, and there shall be no night there. And
they need no candle, neither light of the sun, for the Lord
God giveth them light, and they shall reign forever and ever.
And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true. And the
Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his
servants the things which must shortly be done. Is God defeated? Oh no. Oh no. Our God has always
had his way. He is having his way and he shall
have his way until all Israel is saved and every foe is crushed
into hell. Amen.